Potenkiah, the deathgiver

Chapter 8

"Brid, Bridget... wake up," insisted Annie, shaking her shoulder.

Bridget blinked and unglued her cheek from the desk, glanced at the window, and discovered that Midas, one of Eloah's natural satellites, was no longer in sight, which meant that she had been asleep for at least an hour.

"What's going on?" she asked groggily.

Annie moved the ProCom and other objects on the table so she could lean on the edge, next to her.

"Are you done with that?" she asked, nodding at the tiny quartz disks shining under the fluorescent lamp. They were the ones William had given her for analysing the recordings of the throne room's audiences.

Still half asleep, Bridget wondered if Annie was talking about the end of the three week punishment, during which she had to do the assignment, or...

"I got three days to go."

"Yes but... did you finish what you had to do today?"

"Oh. Yes."

Bridget massaged her ear. Ever since the ear infection she heard an echo now and then. It was curious that it only happened when she was near a woman. Other times... it was best to step back, or she would get a headache.

She stood up and let herself fall on Annie's bed, that was closer.

"Why do you ask?" she mumbled between yawns.

"We have a dinner invitation or something like that."

Bridget stretched out and sat down again.

"Do I have to go?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Alright."

She went to the wardrobe reluctantly. Ever since she was a child, her belongings were divided between her foster family's home, and the royal apartments where she spent the weekends. During her recovery she hadn't used the secret path again; she wouldn't have been able to explain her absence if someone suddenly visited her.

In a corner she found a red dress with a mud stain on the back. On the front it had two large paw prints on the chest.

What an odd discovery. Annie hadn't mentioned an incident involving the Blasterier boy's goldulp, because it was obvious it was the same one, considering the similarity to the ones on hers, after the lake. She would ask later.

"Could you... could you help me with my hair, Ann?" she asked while she changed.

"Sure."

'Should I tell? Better not,' Bridget heard, even if Annie hadn't moved her lips. She shuddered, and told herself it was her imagination.

Annie used her abilities to embellish the Princess' unruly and curly hair.

"Mom asked me about the career I want to pursue," she said.

Bridget's blood ran cold as she watched her on the mirror.

You too? Just the day before Paty had announced something similar. She couldn't decide between Surgery and Psychiatry. She was one of the few people Bridget knew who had an innate spirit for service, and felt the duty to help others in mind or body.

"I told her Sociology," said Annie quietly. "You know how much I like everything related to extra planetary societies."

"But..."

"In the University of Eneviah."

In the city of the same name, Bridget finished in her head. Again she had heard that echo.